Pien and Patrick, a rock-solid team

Living above their shop, Pien and Patrick’s lives and work have been seamlessly intertwined for almost thirty years. “It’s busy, but also very practical,” says Pien.

 “When the children were still small, I could always pop into school or home to take care of something in between. And at Christmas, I, of course, always took care of the flower arrangements for the school,” she laughs. “We literally walk from our kitchen into the shop, which is both the advantage and the danger of living above the business.” 

There is a clear division of roles in the business: Pien works in the shop, doing the creative work and taking orders, while Patrick does the purchasing, plants and external contacts. “We are a rock-solid team. Patrick is tall, so he can see everything in the shop much more quickly. Where I need a step ladder, he can do it in no time. Patrick is also very good at arranging the window displays.” They both do floral arrangements. “The person who takes on the job makes the arrangement,” says Pien. 

Now that their children are growing up, they are also looking ahead. “We’re not stopping anytime soon, but we are planning our weeks off more consciously and thinking about how we want to continue practicing our profession in the future. It’s hard work, but it’s still the most enjoyable thing we do.”